Piers & Pile Driving
We use the highest quality materials available in our pier and pile driving projects.
- Our pier piles are standard 10" Butt, 8" top diameter with the maximum available treatment of 2.5 cca. We offer up to 12" Class B piles.
- Our standard pier framing is 2" x 8" treated lumber, and we offer upgrades to 3" x 8" or larger for special applications.
- Standard decking is 2" x 8", #1 graded, ca treated .10. We also offer upgrades to composite and Ipe decking.
- Standard fasteners are 316 stainless steel screws and 5/8" galvanized large round head timber bolts.
- We double bolt our supporting cap boards and thru bolt our overlapping stringers.
- Typical pile spacing is 10’ on center, and we construct our Ell Platforms (10' x 20') to include all eight piles.
Wood & Vinyl Bulkheads
Randy’s Pier and Seawall offers both traditional wooden bulkheads composed of treated lumber, as well as composite vinyl bulkheads in varying grades. We are capable of constructing bulkheads by means of land as well as barge utilization. Water depth and site conditions will determine the construction approach used for your specific project.
We offer viable options to suite your needs most effectually, utilizing the most cost effective means. We also only recommend build designs with which optimum life expectancies can be anticipated.
Stone Revetments
Revetments, sometimes referred to as “rip rap”, are an effective means of shoreline stabilization and can be the most practical, given accessible site conditions. The design of the revetment is specific to the location of the site and the elements which it is expected to encounter.
On open water sites like rivers and bays, we recommend using the larger Class III armor stone with weight ranging up to 2000 lbs. (about the size of the front of a Volkswagen). These larger stones make an excellent foundation or “toe stone” and when constructed properly using factory sewn filter fabric the proper width for underlayment make for the most heavy duty protection for areas subject to mother nature’s most fierce wave energy.
In areas more protected such as narrows, creeks, lakes and ponds we use smaller Class I and II stone which is more cost effective and just as resilient to storm conditions.
We are capable of constructing revetments by barge as well as by land access. Water depths and site conditions dictate site construction methods.
Living Shorelines
Living Shorelines are the preferred method of the State of Maryland for erosion protection. Living Shorelines have great attributes and are more natural, sustaining beauty and allowing habitat to thrive while also giving us erosion protection in areas of low elevation and low wave energy.
A typical living shoreline consists of a stone sill or breakwater backfilled with clean sand and then planted with wetlands plant species spartina alterniflora (in the low marsh) and spartina patens (in the high marsh). Site conditions in areas of more open water largely increase the size of the breakwater making it more effective in high wind and wave conditions to protect the plants and sand.
Other methods of living shoreline stabilization include the use of groins and/or sand containment structures. These low profile jetties help catch natural lateral drifting sand or contain clean sand backfill. This method can be planted with wetland species plants or allow existing natural seed stock to spread.
We are capable of constructing living shorelines by barge as well as by land access. Water depths and site conditions dictate site construction methods.
Jetties, Groins, & Offshore Breakwaters
Jetties and groins are a viable and cost effective solution to recapture lost sand and eroding beaches. This method of beach nourishment can have astounding results in areas of open water and sandy bottom shallows. Recapturing sand is the most natural buffer, dissipating wave energy and minimizing erosion, offering a more natural buffer between your lifelong dream and the harsh reality of storm wave energy.
Offshore breakwaters are stone structures constructed parallel to the shoreline in need of protection. Breakwaters reflect or decrease wave energy creating a low energy zone between the structure and the existing beach. They are spaced according to the length of the area to be protected and are usually constructed in size determined by the sustained wave energy the site location is subjected to. The purpose of an offshore breakwater is to trap drifting eroding sand which will allow wetland plants to stabilize and thrive.
Additional Services
Barge Services
Randy’s Pier and Seawall has barges on both the Potomac and Patuxent River and we are available to provide barge service for transport of materials, vehicles and equipment or to provide a work platform for your project.
Randy’s Pier and Seawall provided and donated barge services for the reconstruction of the Blackistone Island Lighthouse.
Underwater Surverys
Randy’s Pier and Seawall offers underwater surveying of piles, setting of reef structures and recovery of lost items.
Salvage and Cleanup
Randy’s Pier and Seawall provides services for river clean up, removal of debris, tires, trees, sunken boats and building collapse.
